Wire-retrieving attachment for trolley-wheels.



No, 877,877. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. W. o. ALTHBN.

WIRE RBTRIEVING ATTACHMENT FOR TROLLEY WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.22,1907.

UNITED s'rnrns r WILLIAM C. ALTHEN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO WILLIAMF. MIESSE,

ONE-SIXTH TO WILLIAM N. GEARHART, ONE-SIXTH TO BENJAMIN HIRT, AND ONE-:

FOURTH TO JOHN T. DUNNIOK, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

WIRE-RETBIEVING ATTACI-BEENT FOR TROLLEY-WHEEZS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patente giqah. as, 1908.

Application filed March 22,1907- Serial No. 363.909

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. ALTHEN,

- citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State is automatically thrown above the trolley harp and trolley'wheel when a pull is applied to the trolley rope, said retriever comprising a wire guiding portion which is ada ted to guide the trolley wheel back upon -.t e wireand said retriever being constructed in such manner as to catch and enga e the wire when the trolley wheel slips there lrom to prevent the trolley pole from springing to an upright positionunder the influence of the powerful springs'that normally hold the trolley wheel in engagement witl'fthe wire.

It is a well known fact that when a trolley wheel leaves the trolley wire, and the trolley l as pole springs to an upright position, this movement of the trolley'poleadded to the bodily movement of the trolley pole as it is carried along by the car, causes great damage to the y wires which support the trolley wire.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for insulating the wire retriever from the trolley pole as long as such retriever lies in its lower "position, butsaid retriever being arranged to be'brought into electrical communication with the trolley .pole when said tion, to serve a after set forth.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley pole and harp having my invention applied thereto, the normal position of the device being illustrated in full lines and its operative position being illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2 1s a plan view of the attachments comprising the present invention and 'a portion of the trolley purpose which will be herein- I pole, Fig. 3 is a view of the trolley retrieving full lines in Fig. 1.

retriever is'in its upright posi-,

tional view upon line-a:m of Fig.1.

Like numerals designate; corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

' Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a tubular trolley pole. Secured in this trolley pole by a pin 6 is a short bar 7 the upper end otwhich receives the tubular end 8 of a trolley harp 9. Pins 10 secure the trolley harp in position upon the bar; A

trolley wheel 11 is journaled as at 12 in the trolley harp. The parts just; described are of the usual and well known, construction and need no further description.

The device herein shown and described is an improvement upon thelike structure shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 846,378, issued to me :on the 5th day of March, 1907.

Secured upon the bar 7 between the tubular trolley pole 5 and the tubular end. 8 of the trolley harp in such manner as to form a flush joint at the. front face of the pole, is. a bracket 13 having a rearwardly inclined arm 114 which termi nates in a bifurcated member 15}. The shank 16 of a yoke 17 is pivoted in thebifun.

, cated member 15 as at 18. a The end of this shank is provided with an eyelet 19 adapted to receive the end of the trolley rope 20. A

. yoke hereinafter described looking toward; the left in Fig. 1-, and, Fig.4 is a detail see block of insulating material 21 ,is set into a the arm 14 of the bracket'13 in such position that the eyelet 19 rests there-against when the parts are in the position illustratedin The shank 16"of'the yoke 17 is insulated at its pivot point by an insulating bushing 22 (see Fig. 4)., The side members of the yoke 17'are connected by a V-shape'd cross member 23', the V-shaped recess formed thereby being adapted to receive the trolley wire as will be hereinafter described. The side members 17 are connected at their inner ends by a cross bar 24 from which the shank 16 extends. Webs 25 carried by the cross bar 24, lie close upon each side of the trolley harp 9 and serve to catch the trolley wire between themselves and the sides of the yoke 17 (see Fig. 3) when the trolley wheel slips from the wire. These webs prevent the trolley wire from coming down beneath the trolley wheel or beneath the trolley harp. It has been found that when the wire gets hooked beneath the trolparticularly designed. As long'as the wire retrieving attachment is'in its lower position and the wire lies between the webs 25 and the sides of the yoke, no current can be supplied to the car for the oke is insulated both at its pivotal point and by the block 21, from the rest of the structure. I

When the wire retrieving attachment lies in the osition illustrated 1n dotted lines in Fig. 1, it will conduct current to the car, for at that time the cross bar 24 lies against the shoulder 27 of the arm 14. The car may then be started and just as-soon as the car is started, for the forward movement of the car causes the yoke to ride back to the full line position and permits the trolley wheel to move up into engagement with the trolley wire. It will therefore be seen'that the yoke is insulated from the trolley pole asv long as it lies in its lowermost position, but is in electrical contact with said pole when it is in its uppermost position and engaging the. trolley wire. Current will therefore .be' only trans mitted'to the car when the yoke lies in such position that the resulting movement of the car will replace the whee upon the wire. From the foregoing 'descri tion, it will be seen that simple and efficient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purpose for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise con striiction set forth; but includes within its "purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What Iclaim is: p

1. The combination with a trolley pole and wheel, of a wire retrieving yoke pivotally mounted in the rear of the trolley pole, said yoke normally lying below the trolley Wire and bein adapted to be thrown above said trolley w eel when a pull is given the trolley rope, means for insulating the yoke from the trolley pole when the yoke is in its lowermost position, and means for completing an electrical connection to the trolley pole when said yoke is-in its uppermost position.

2 The combination with a trolley pole and wheel, of a wire retrieving yoke pivotally mounted in rear of the trolley ole, said yoke normally lying below the tro ley wire and being adapted to be thrown above said trolley wheel when a pull is 'ven the trol ley rope, and ribs carried by t e yoke which lie close to the trolley harp and which are adapted to receive the trollev wire between themselves and the sides of the yoke.

3. The combination with a trolley pole and wheel, of a bracket secured to said trolley pole and lying in the rear thereof, a yoke pivoted to the bracket, means for insulating said yoke from the bracket at its, pivotal point,. said yoke'having a V-shaped wire guidin portion and an arm which extends beyon its pivotal point and is adapted to have a trolley rope secured-thereto, and ribs carried by the yoke which lie close to the sides of the trolley harp and are adapted to receive the trolley wire between themselves and the side of the yoke, and means for insulating the free end of the arm that has the trolley rope secured thereto from the bracket.

In testimony whereof I affiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ALTHEN Witnesses a I L. CARL S'roUenToN, A. L. PHELPS. 

